The invention relates to security tags in general, and more particularly to improvements in reusable security tags.
Security tags are used in department stores, clothing stores and many other establishments to prevent unauthorized removal of merchandise from the premises. A security tag normally comprises a housing for a signal generator and means for releasably attaching the housing to the merchandise which is to be secured against theft. The signal generator actuates an alarm at the exit from the premises if an unauthorized person, such as a thief, attempts to remove tagged merchandise with the housing thereon.
German Pat. No. 24 60 643 to Humble et al. discloses a reusable security tag wherein the housing confines an elastic locking device in the form of a piece of metallic sheet material. The locking device has jaws or claws which enter the notches of a pin-shaped retaining member serVing to secure the merchandise to the housing. The jaws can be disengaged from the retaining member only by mechanical means, such as by pliers. This is often a time-consuming operation which is undesirable when a security tag must be removed from a legitimately purchased article of clothing or the like while the establishment is crowded with customers.
Published German patent application No. 38 20 820 of Bussard discloses a modified reusable security tag. The locking device includes a magnetizable member which can be assembled of two leaf springs. A drawback of the security tag of Bussard is that it can be separated from merchandise only in a single way, namely by resorting to a magnet.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,147,607 to Calvano et al. discloses a safety padlock for use with mail bags. The two sections of the housing of the padlock are articulately connected to each other by a hinge and can be secured to each other by a rudimentary locking device. The purpose of this padlock is to furnish evidence of unauthorized tampering with the locking device rather than to generate an alarm if the commodity to which the housing is attached is removed from designated premises.
A seal wherein the locking device in a housing includes an elastic piece of metallic sheet material with jaws or claws capable of entering notches in a U-shaped shackle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,006,051 to Keidel. A drawback of the patented locking device is that it cannot be separated from the secured commodity without destroying the shackle.